Already depleted natural resources in July.
The Earth Overshoot Day for 2021, which marks the date when humanity's demand for natural resources exceeds what Earth can regenerate in a year, fell on July 29 [1][3][5]. This is more than three weeks earlier than last year, signifying a rebound in economic and social activity after pandemic-related slowdowns.
The significance of Earth Overshoot Day lies in its highlighting of humanity’s unsustainable consumption patterns. It draws attention to the overuse of resources such as freshwater, forest products, and the excess carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change. This overconsumption drives biodiversity loss, deforestation, resource depletion, worsening climate impacts, and related socio-economic challenges like food and energy insecurity [1][3][5].
The biological capacity of forests has decreased by 0.5% due to rapid deforestation, particularly in the Amazon rainforest [2]. If everyone lived like in the USA, it would require five Earths to sustain the current resource demand. On the contrary, if everyone lived like in China, the world population would need 2.2 Earths [4]. If all countries managed their resources like Germany, three Earths would be needed [4].
Audrey Mathieu, EU climate policy expert at Germanwatch, calls for closer international cooperation to prevent constant overstraining of the planet's limits. She emphasizes the need for expanding climate partnerships with key emerging countries to accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality. Mathieu also suggests accelerating the implementation of the European Green Deal with European partners [6].
Steffen Vogel from Germanwatch states that the rebound effect has led to a sudden increase in emissions after the peak of the pandemic. He suggests that Covid-19 stimulus programs should be oriented towards sustainable economic models [6].
The Earth Overshoot Day was first exceeded before the end of the year in 1970 [3]. Calculated by comparing the Earth's biological capacity with human consumption of resources and waste, the day serves as a warning that current consumption is unsustainable and depletes natural capital [1][3][5].
Sources:
[1] Germanwatch. (2021). Earth Overshoot Day 2021: Humanity used nature 1.75 times more than our planet could regenerate. Retrieved from https://germanwatch.org/en/16369
[2] WWF. (2021). Forests. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/topics/forests
[3] Global Footprint Network. (2021). Earth Overshoot Day. Retrieved from https://www.overshootday.org/
[4] Germanwatch. (2021). Consumption and Ecological Footprint. Retrieved from https://germanwatch.org/en/16363
[5] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (2018). Global Warming of 1.5°C. Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
[6] Germanwatch. (2021). Earth Overshoot Day 2021: Germany's high carbon footprint is a global problem. Retrieved from https://germanwatch.org/en/16368
Other scientific studies reveal that if everyone adopts the consumption patterns of the United States, it would require five Earths to sustain the current resource demand. In contrast, if everyone follows the consumption patterns of China, the world population would need 2.2 Earths. Furthermore, if all countries managed their resources like Germany, three Earths would be needed [4]. These findings underscore the critical importance of investing in environmental science to develop sustainable models for resource use in real estate and finance, to mitigate the overconsumption that drives climate change and other environmental issues.
